Zygmunt Marek

Who was Zygmunt Marek?

Zygmunt Marek was a Polish socialist politician.

After graduating from Gimnazjum Św. Jacka he studied law. He joined Polish Social Democratic Party of Galicia in 1890. Marek was a chief editor of Więzien polityczny and Naprzód newspapers during World War I. In 1919, after Poland regained independence after years of partitions, he joined united Polish Socialist Party.

Elected Sejm member the same year, he became chairman of the PPS caucus, replacing Norbert Barlicki in 1926. On July 31, 1926 he placed a candidacy of Józef Piłsudski for President. Piłsudski was elected by National Assembly for this post, but decided against taking office. In that case PPS drafted their own candidate in next election, held on June 1, and Marek became a nominee. He faced Piłsudski-backed chemistry professor Ignacy Mościcki and Poznań Voivode Adolf Biński, who represented right. In first turn he took last place with 56 votes. In a runoff he finished last again, with just one vote.

Marek served as a Sejm Vice-Marshal from 1928 to 1931.